Apricot-Walnut Cereal Bars
Crisp and chewy, this bar is a good-for-you alternative to store-bought cereal bars. The secret ingredient, silken tofu, will give your day a protein-packed start. The recipe also works with other fruit-and-nut combinations.
Ingredients
  • 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, (about 2 ounces)
  • 3 cups unsweetened puffed-grain cereal, such as Kashi
  • 2 cups chopped dried apricots
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 12 ounces silken tofu, drained (about 1 1/3 cups)
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 cup canola oil
  • 1 cup honey
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons freshly grated lemon zest
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a large (15 1/4-by-10 1/4-inch) jellyroll-style pan with cooking spray.
2. Spread oats and walnuts on a baking sheet with sides. Bake until fragrant and light golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and add puffed cereal, dried apricots, flour and salt; stir to combine.
3. Meanwhile, puree tofu, egg, oil, honey, vanilla and lemon zest in a food processor or blender until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. Make a well in the center of the oat mixture; fold in the tofu mixture until combined. Spread evenly in the prepared pan.
4. Bake until firm in the center and golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before cutting into bars with a sharp knife.
Nutrition Information
Per serving
Calories: 306
Carbohydrates: 46g
Fat: 12g
Saturated Fat: 1g
Monounsaturated Fat: 5g
Protein: 6g
Cholesterol: 13mg
Dietary Fiber: 3g
Potassium: 367mg
Sodium: 87mg
Nutrition Bonus: Fiber (14% daily value).
SERVES: 16
PREP TIME: 30 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 2 hours
MEETS THESE GUIDELINES:
Low Sat Fat
Low Sodium
Heart Healthy
Diabetes Appropriate
MAKE AHEAD TIP:
Individually wrap in plastic and keep at room temperature for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw at room temperature or remove plastic, wrap in a paper towel and defrost according to your microwave's directions.
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Scaling Disclaimer: EatingWell recipes are tested extensively in the EatingWell Test Kitchen. Eating Well cannot guarantee a recipe that has been scaled to make a different number of servings from the original. Also note that scaling only applies to the ingredient measurements: no adjustment is made to the recipe instructions, so pan sizes and cooking times and ingredient amounts referred to in the text of the recipe only apply to the original number of servings.